In 1908, the Virginia legislature created the State Normal and Industrial School for Women, and chartered it as a school to train public school teachers. The first day of classes was September 30, 1909, with 209 students as the total enrollment for the first year. Two years later, in June 1911, 20 students became a part of the first graduating class. By 1954 the College had moved well beyond the original curriculum of solely training public school teachers and was authorized to grant masters degrees, with doctoral programs soon to follow. Although men had been attending what was then Madison College since 1946 the campus did not become fully co-educational until 1966. Since its founding in 1908, the institution has undergone five name changes: State Normal and Industrial School for Women (1908), State Normal School for Women (1914), State Teachers College (1924), Madison College (1938), and James Madison University (1977).

This collection of yearbooks ranges from 1910 to 2011. The first yearbook, The Schoolma'am, was consecutively published until 1961 when the official name was changed to Bluestone.